Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Engineered thermoplastic articles are typically coated with another polymer to improve texture, color and longevity. Recycling coated thermoplastic articles presents a challenge since the coating typically needs to be removed in order to obtain quality recycled products. When the coating is not removed, the recycled product typically has reduced commercial value and/or is used in low-value applications such as synthetic wood products.
Applied coatings may confer UV-protection, scratch resistance and support transparency. Hard coatings have been applied by a thermal curing process using e.g., silicone compounds for coating layer functionalization. More recently, organic-inorganic hybrid coatings by UV-curing process have increasingly been used.